1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a picture frame decision apparatus and a method for determining the density of each picture frame on a film. More specifically, the present invention is particularly designed for deciding whether a panoramic image is photographed in a particular picture frame.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is known to decide whether a panoramic image is formed in a picture frame of a film by making a density decision for each picture frame on the film.
For example, in a picture frame 101 as shown in FIG. 5, when a panoramic image is formed thereon, the image is photographed only in a panoramic area 102 indicated with oblique cross hatched lines but it is not photographed in other areas. If the picture frame 101 is subjected to a decision about whether the panoramic image is included thereon, an image part 101a (indicated with a solid line) is initially determined or cut out from the picture frame 101. From this image area 101a, a panoramic area 102 is then determined or cut out and then the average image density C of this panoramic area 102 is determined. Also, from the image part 101a, two panoramic naturally through areas 103 and 104 on both sides of the panoramic area 102 are determined or cut out. Then the average density U and D of these panoramic naturally through areas 103 and 104 is determined. Further, a base density A of a part of the film outside of the picture frame 101 is also determined.
Further herein, each density A, U, C and D is a transmission density. In other words, these densities indicate how much light transmits through the film. This procedure is also similar in the following description below.
After this, it is decided whether the following three conditions a-c are satisfied.
Condition a: The average image density C of the panoramic area 102 is sufficiently smaller (darker) than the average density U and D of panoramic naturally through areas 103 and 104.
Condition b: The difference between the average density U and D of panoramic naturally through areas 103 and 104 is sufficiently small.
Condition c: The average density U and D of the panoramic naturally through areas 103 and 104 are larger (lighter) than the base density A.
If these conditions were fully satisfied, it was decided that a panoramic image was formed in the picture frame 101 of the film.
However, if the picture frame 101 was very light due to under exposure of the picture frame 101 of the film or if the image photographed in the naturally through areas 103 and 104 was very small, the average density U and D of the naturally through areas 103 and 104 was sufficiently small. In this case, the above three conditions were satisfied and it was decided that a panoramic image was formed in the picture frame 101 and thus a false decision was made.
An object of the present invention is to solve the prior problem above and to provide a picture frame decision apparatus and method that allows an accurate decision to be made about whether a panoramic image is formed in the picture frame of a film.
For achieving the above object, a picture frame decision apparatus of one aspect of the present invention comprises identification means for identifying whether a plurality of picture frames of a film have a region with a predetermined density in a common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames; and computation means for determining a density of each of the plurality of picture frames while excluding the region with the predetermined density in the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises sectioning means for sectioning at least one picture frame into two naturally through areas and a panoramic area located therebetween; and decision means for deciding whether a panoramic image is formed in the at least one picture frame; wherein the computation means determines an average density of each of the naturally through areas while excluding the region with the predetermined density from each of the naturally through areas when the plurality of picture frames of the film have the region with the predetermined density at the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames, and wherein the decision means decides based on a comparison of the average density of the naturally through areas.
In an embodiment, the computation means determines a difference between a maximum density and a minimum density in each of the naturally through areas of the at least one picture frame, and wherein the decision means decides whether the panoramic image is formed based on a comparison of the average density of the naturally through areas and a comparison between a difference of each of the naturally through areas and a predetermined value.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises sectioning means for sectioning at least one picture frame into two naturally through areas and a panoramic area located therebetween; and decision means for deciding whether a panoramic image is formed in the at least one picture frame; wherein the computation means determines an average density of the panoramic image and an average density of each of the naturally through areas while excluding the region with the predetermined density from each of the naturally through areas when the plurality of picture frames of the film have the region with the predetermined density at the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames; and wherein the decision means decides based on a comparison of the average density of the naturally through areas and the average density of the panoramic area.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises sectioning means for sectioning at least one picture frame into two naturally through areas and a panoramic area located therebetween; and decision means for deciding whether a panoramic image is formed in the at least one picture frame; wherein the computation means determines a base density of the film, determines a standard density less than the base density with a predetermined ratio and determines an average density of each of the naturally through areas while excluding the region with a predetermined density from each of the naturally through areas when the plurality of picture frames of the film have the region with the predetermined density at the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames, and wherein the decision means decides based on a comparison between the standard density and the average density of the naturally through areas.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises sectioning means for sectioning at least one picture frame into two naturally through areas and a panoramic area located therebetween; and decision means for deciding whether a panoramic image is formed in the at least one picture frame; wherein the computation means determines a base density of the film, determines a standard density less than the base density with a predetermined ratio, determines an average density of the panoramic area and determines an average density of each of the naturally through areas while excluding the region with a predetermined density from each of the naturally through areas when the plurality of picture frames of the film have the region with the predetermined density at the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames, and wherein the decision means decides based on a comparison between the standard density and the average density of each of the naturally through areas and on a comparison between the average density of the panoramic area and the average density of each naturally through area.
In an embodiment, the identification means integrates a density of pixels located in the common location of the picture frames to obtain an integrated value and based on the integrated value, the identification means identifies whether a picture frame has the region with the predetermined density in the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames.
A picture frame decision method of one aspect of the present invention comprises identifying whether a plurality of picture frames of a film have a region with a predetermined density in a common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames; and determining a density of each of the picture frames while excluding the region with the predetermined density in the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises sectioning at least one picture frame into two naturally through areas and a panoramic area located therebetween; and deciding whether a panoramic image is formed in the at least one picture frame; wherein the step of determining the density includes determining an average density of each of the naturally through areas while excluding the region with the predetermined density from each of the naturally through areas when the plurality of picture frames of the film have the region with the predetermined density at the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames, and wherein the step of deciding whether a panoramic image includes comparing the average density of each of the naturally through areas.
In an embodiment, the step of determining the density includes determining a difference between a maximum density and a minimum density at each of the naturally through areas of the at least one picture frame, and wherein the step of deciding whether the panoramic image is formed includes comparing the average density of naturally through areas and comparing the difference of each of the naturally through areas and a predetermined value.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises sectioning at least one picture frame into two naturally through areas and a panoramic area located therebetween; and deciding whether a panoramic image is formed in the at least one picture frame; wherein the step of determining the density includes determining an average density of the panoramic image and an average density of each of the naturally through areas while excluding the region with the predetermined density from each of the naturally through areas when the plurality of picture frames of the film have the region with the predetermined density at the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames; and wherein the step of deciding whether a panoramic image is formed includes comparing the average density of the naturally through areas and the average density of the panoramic area.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises sectioning at least one picture frame into two naturally through areas and a panoramic area located therebetween; and deciding whether a panoramic image is formed in the at least one picture frame; wherein the step of determining the density includes determining a base density of the film, determining a standard density less than the base density with a predetermined ratio and determining an average density of each of the naturally through areas while excluding the region with a predetermined density from each of the naturally through areas when the plurality of picture frames of the film have the region with the predetermined density at the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames, and wherein the step of deciding whether a panoramic image is formed includes comparing the standard density and the average density of the naturally through areas.
A further aspect of the present invention comprises sectioning at least one picture frame into two naturally through areas and a panoramic area located therebetween; and deciding whether a panoramic image is formed in the at least one picture frame; wherein the step of determining the density includes determining a base density of the film, determining a standard density less than the base density with a predetermined ratio, determining an average density of the panoramic area and determining an average density of each of the naturally through areas while excluding the region with a predetermined density from each of the naturally through areas when the plurality of picture frames of the film have the region with the predetermined density at the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames, and wherein the step of deciding whether a panoramic image is formed includes comparing the standard density and the average density of the naturally through areas and comparing the average density of the panoramic area and the average density of each of the naturally through areas.
In an embodiment, the step of identifying includes integrating a density of pixels located in the common location of the picture frames to obtain an integrated value and identifying whether a picture frame has the region with the predetermined density in the common location relative to each picture frame of the plurality of picture frames.
According to this invention, identifying whether a plurality of picture frames of the film has the spot or region with a predetermined density at a common location of the picture frames, is done by determining the density of each picture frame while excluding the spot or region with the predetermined density in the common location of the picture frames. Thereby, the density of image can be determined while excluding the date or other marks photographed in the particular spot or region of the picture frame and then the density of picture frame can be accurately determined.